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Metraxi
The Metraxi are an ancient race of exiles, once native to the Planet Alpha Metraxis, they wander space trying to survive. The Metraxi were once a dominating race in the galaxy, head of the ancient Metraxi Hierate, but over time their control shrank to a single system independent land. The Hierate was finally destroyed in 2508 by the Ragon, who scorched the surface of Alpha Metraxis, the home world of the Metraxi to purge it of all life. Now the only remaining Metraxi are the scattered handful who happened to be off world when the Ragon burned the worlds of the Metraxis System, or those who escaped at the last minute Etymology The term Metraxi is derived from the name of their homeworld Alpha Metraxis, of the Metraxis system. In the Metraxi language, Metrax (the singular form of Metraxi) means, child of Metraxis. Metraxi is the plural and possessive form of Metrax. Physiology The Metraxi are highly adapted to the conditions of their home world. Alpha Metraxis orbits just inside the "Goldilocks" orbit of its sun and is as a result perpetually cold, similar to the Tundra on Earth. The Metraxi as a result are well adapted to a lack of sunlight, being of a very pale complexion, similar to humans with Leucism or a minor case of Albinism. They cannot handle "normal" levels of sunlight without significant levels of protection. The fierce winds which blew on Alpha Metraxis tended to blow too hard for taller life, and therefore the Metraxi adapated. Metraxi are short, and generally small framed, though they tend to be far more robust then their build would betray. Given the relative lack of food native to the planet the Metraxi have adopted a very slow metabolism, being able to go weeks without food, and being able to go up to two Terran months without food before survival becomes unlikely. As a quirk of this metabolism and of general Metraxi genetics, they have a very long lifespan. The earliest records of the Metraxi record the average lifespan being near 150 Terran years. A Metrax with access to 2544 standards of medical care can easily expect to live 3-3 Terran centuries with 500 Terran years not being at all unheard of. The oldest known Metrax, Mili'Xanad died at age 723 Terran years of age. Metraxi tend to have an aging cliff, instead of a steady decline in prowess, Metraxi actually get better with age until reaching a certain point within a decade of death, at which they decline rapidly in ability for the remaining time of their lives. Many a Metrax has opted to commit suicide at this point rather than face inevitable bodily deterioration and this has even become an accepted cultural tradition. The Metraxi are slow to reproduce, with a gestation period of 2 Terran years. They typically give birth to a single child, with very rare twin births. A Metrax female can only give birth once in a period of 6 Terran years. Metraxi males tend to reach sexual maturity at age 20, Metraxi females reach maturity slightly earlier at 18 Terran years of age. An indicator that Metraxi have reached maturity is that their pheromone glands activate. The Metraxi naturally produce, as a defensive (or some would say aphrodisiac) mechanism a pheromone that reduces feelings of aggression in other species and increases lust. Thus far it appears that these pheromones increase this sense in humans and has no effect on Ragon. There are some Metraxi who for some reason do not follow this template, they are taller,with darker skin and hair. They tend to be more aggressive and violent than their fairer cousins, but these "Darkheads" are treated with a measure of disdain by the socially arrogant Metraxi. Society The basis of Metraxi society are the clans. Clans are the extended families of Metraxi, given the average lifespan of the average Metrax, these clans extend over many generations, and the largest and most successful have thousands of members. Clan names take the place before the apostrophies in typical Metrax names. The largest five clans at the time of Alpha Metraxis' annihilation were the Mili, Clathi, Shenobi, Alani, and the Ki Clans each of which consisted of several thousand individuals. Of these, the only the Shenobi Clan can claim more than a couple dozen survivors as the largest clans tended to be the political rulers on Alpha Metraxis. The Metraxi tend to a meritocratic hierarchy when forming their rulership. The best get selected for leadership positions and the best of those rulership of entire clans, cities, or planets. This system, along with the cultural manipulation of the Metraxi was the reason for their initial success and for their length of Empire. The Metraxi language oft seems confusing to the outside observer. The spoken language is to be spoken quickly, and can seem to one untrained in speaking the language to be merely a jumble of words. However, there is an intense pattern of logic in the language. It follows a set structure of Adjectives ->Subject -> Predicate -> Predicate Adjectives. Within this sentence structure, all words must be grafted. Though the cultural unwillingness to allow their tongue to be "sullied" by non-Metraxi speakers, a number of words have been left behind by the Vestigial Metraxi Hierate. Some more prominent examples. * Ragon: From the Metraxi Word Ragonii, to burn/raze, or burner/razer. Emblematic of the militaristic nature of the Ragon, and their tendency to "burn" troublesome worlds. * Hierate: From the Old Metraxi Hierate, it means Meritocratic Hierarchy, exactly like that of the Metraxi Regime, and of Metraxi society, if no clan relations were to exist. * X'Lani: A term for the Metraxi art of Sword Dancing. X'Lani is still practiced by a few surviving masters, and by the more Metraxi loving of the former Metraxi Empire. * Daleth Sikari: "dark head" a term originally for the aberrant Metraxi, more commonly used to describe a violent member of species. Despite their intelligence, the Metraxi seem to share a level of cultural arrogance. They genuinely believe themselves superior, culturally speaking to all other races barring ones they've "civilized". Even the destruction of their home did little to tamper this.